The comfort of darkness
by moonswirl
Summary: What happens during the blackout... *part 1 of the Destiny Series, the prologue is also posted..*
1. Kyle & Liz

The comfort of darkness  
  
  
Part one of my Destiny series  
  
Kyle lit the match and brought it to the candle. When the flame burned at its tip, he extinguished the match.  
  
"There," he said, looking over his shoulder to Liz, who still held on to him, "We've got light." She smiled weakly. They were now in the dining room. They could still hear the thunder, lightning and rain outside. "How about we sit down, and then we can talk," he suggested.  
  
"O... okay," she whispered. She finally let go of him and sat. He took the chair next to hers.  
  
"Looks like we're not going anywhere for a while so... I'm all ears." She looked lost then, she didn't know where to start. "Relax, okay? I won't let anything happen to you and I'll help you, I promised. Remember?"  
  
"I just can't take it anymore. Everything that's happened this year... I can't go back to before, to the things that made me feel like this," she said calmly but strongly.  
  
"Alright... it'll be like a new you," tried Kyle. She looked up and nodded. "But can I give you one advice?" She nodded once more. "Don't push them away. It may seem like the thing to do, but you'll end up regretting it."  
  
"I don't know that I can face them again."  
  
"You have to. Trust me on this. I'll be right there with you if you ever need me. Anytime, okay? Even if it's four in the morning. You need me? I'm there." Liz smiled. "Ah, see? That's good! Keep it up!" She started laughing. "The new Liz Parker, ladies and gentlemen," said Kyle loudly.  
  
She bowed her head slightly and smiled up to him. "Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome," he said. He looked around then, deep in thought. "I got an idea."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Come on," he said, getting up.  
  
"Where are we going?" she asked. He took the candle and held out his hand to her. She hesitated for a second, then took it. He led her back into the living room. He made her sit on the couch, before walking off to a bookshelf in the corner. "What are you doing?" she asked him.  
  
"Just... wait, I almost... found it!" he called, pulling out a couple of books and walking back to sit next to Liz.  
  
"What are those?" asked Liz.  
  
"Photo albums," explained Kyle, "Should help get our minds off the storm." She nodded and he opened the first one. "I think we should skip this page," he said quickly.  
  
"No, wait!" She grabbed the album and looked. "Awww... look at that... bath time... That is so sweet. And our star athlete had a cute little butt..." she said with a grin.  
  
"Moving on, please?"  
  
"Alright, fine," said Liz as she turned the page. "Oh my goodness," she said suddenly.  
  
"What?" asked Kyle.  
  
"Look!" she pointed to a picture in the top left corner.  
  
"That's me and..."  
  
"Me!" she exclaimed.  
  
"What?" He looked again at the two toddlers sitting in what looked like... "That's the Crashdown! That's you?"  
  
"Yes! It was the opening. I know, I have pictures at home and I was wearing that," she said, pointing to the little antennas on her head.  
  
"Unbelievable," said Kyle. He took the picture out of the album. "I'm gonna ask my dad about this," he said with a smile.  
  
"Alright," she said turning the page again. Next came class pictures. They started pointing at people randomly.  
  
"I know this girl," said Kyle pointing to one.  
  
"Of course you do, that's Maria!" said Liz with a smile.  
  
"Wow, I didn't even remember she was in our class."  
  
"Yeah well, she was much more reserved back then," said Liz.  
  
"Maria? Reserved?" said Kyle.  
  
Liz laughed. "Weird, uh?"  
  
"Extremely," he said.  
  
"And here's Alex," she said, pointing to another.  
  
"That I remember. I wasn't very nice to him back then," he said.  
  
"Yeah, I know. How did you come up with all those pranks? Remember the time you switched his coat with this little kid's..."  
  
"Yeah, he thought he'd grown all of a sudden, he was freaking out. It wasn't one of my best though."  
  
"Yes, well, I think we shouldn't talk about those..."  
  
"Agreed," said Kyle.  
  
"Look," she said, "Our little alien friends." She pointed to the three kids standing together. Ten years, and some things never changed. Isabel was smiling, Michael was frowning, and Max looked... confused...  
  
"When they first came into the picture, they were always together, didn't speak to anyone except each other... Isabel was the first to make a new friend, of course. I always wondered why they all acted so strange," said Kyle.  
  
"Now we know," said Liz. She looked down.  
  
"Hey, come on now. The new Liz Parker, remember?"  
  
"Well the old one is having trouble leaving." He put his arm around her shoulders and she rested her head on his as he brought the second album to his lap.  
  
"Let's see," he said, turning pages with his free arm. He stopped when he came to one page in particular. Liz noticed and looked at the single large picture on the page.  
  
"Oh, wow," she said, "That's your mom, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, that was their wedding."  
  
"She's beautiful..."  
  
"Thank you," said Kyle slowly.  
  
"Oh... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."  
  
"It's okay, it's okay... I haven't seen this picture in so long."  
  
"You've never heard from her since?"  
  
"No. She sends cards on our birthdays and Christmas, but that's it," he said sadly.  
  
"You miss her a lot."  
  
"Yes, I do." There was a moment of silence.  
  
Liz turned to Kyle and said, "I've never seen you like this."  
  
"You don't remember the months right after she left? At school?" She thought.  
  
"Vaguely." He turned to her.  
  
"You don't remember what you did?" She shook her head. "Your mother made your lunch everyday. It would change from day to day, except for..."  
  
"Two cookies!" finished Liz.  
  
"And for months after my mother left..."  
  
"I'd give you one... I remember now. I can't believe I forgot that!" He smiled.  
  
"I would look forward to it everyday, it kept me going."  
  
"And then you told me to stop."  
  
"I was feeling better and well... the other kids were..." She grinned.  
  
"It's okay, I understand."  
  
"I missed it... getting my cookie," he said with a small smile. They looked at each other for a few seconds, until Kyle noticed something past Liz. "Look," he said, "It stopped raining." She looked and it had.  
  
"Oh," she looked down, "I should get home... my parents are probably worried about me."  
  
"Yeah," he said, "I should go study a bit... finals..."  
  
"Yeah," she said. Both laughed gently and got up. She put on her coat and they walked to the door.  
  
"Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow in school," said Kyle.  
  
"Alright," said Liz, "Thank you for tonight. You really helped me."  
  
"It was my pleasure." The two hugged.  
  
"Bye," said Liz.  
  
"Bye." He opened the door for her and she walked out. After closing it, he walked to the window and looked at Liz. He hoped so bad that she would feel better.  
  
When she reached the sidewalk, she turned and saw him in the window. She laughed a bit before walking off.  
  
Once she was out of sight, Kyle stood by the window shortly. He went back to the couch and picked up the picture he'd taken out of the album. He knew there was more to this picture than a restaurant opening. He smiled knowingly. There had to be.  



	2. Alex & Maria

"I think it's in the living room," whispered Alex.  
  
"Why are you whispering?" asked Maria, not realizing she was also.  
  
"And why are you?"  
  
"Right," she said at normal tone. "So... are you ready for finals?" asked Maria.  
  
"Um... sure," said Alex, sensing she was trying to keep it from becoming silence. "Are you afraid of the dark or something?"  
  
"What? Of course not... well... maybe a little," she said with a smile.  
  
"We're almost there," he assured.  
  
"I... I know," she said as she nodded her head. They moved slowly, trying not to fall. The flashlight suddenly flickered out, which caused a small gasp to escape Maria and a snicker from Alex at her response. "Stop it!" she said, whispering.  
  
"You're doing it again," noted Alex.  
  
"Okay, I'm sorry, but I happen to be slightly nerv..." said Maria, but suddenly stopped when her foot caught on something and she fell to the ground, her hand slipping from Alex's grasp.  
  
"MARIA!" he called as he went to her side.  
  
"Ow!" she exclaimed, wincing.  
  
"Are you okay?" asked Alex with urgency in his voice.  
  
"I'm fine. It's not broken. It hurts like hell, but it's not broken or sprained."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"It's MY ankle, I know."  
  
"Fine, fine." He helped her sit up and rest against the wall. "Why don't we stay here for a little while?" suggested Alex.  
  
"But there's no lights!" pleaded Maria.  
  
"I'll go find the candles," said Alex.  
  
"O... okay. But keep talking!"  
  
"Sure." He walked away and Maria began to sing. "That's good, keep going," said Alex. He made it to the living room and found the candle and matches. He headed back, the sound of Maria's voice guiding him. She stopped as he sat next to her. "Thank you," he said.  
  
She smiled, then said, "Can you light the candle? Please?"  
  
"Sure." Seconds later, the candle burned in between them.  
  
"Much better," said Maria.  
  
"How's your ankle?" asked Alex.  
  
"It's a bit sensible, but it'll be better in the morning."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Alex, the minute I walk into my house limping, my mother will be all over me."  
  
"Good point," said Alex, grinning at the image of Amy DeLuca's face when she'll see her.  
  
"Like I said, I'll be fine in the morning."  
  
"Just in time or finals," said Alex with a wide smile.  
  
"You HAD to find the down part, didn't you?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Great," said Maria sarcastically. Both laughed for a few seconds. "So what are we supposed to do now?" asked Maria.  
  
"How about you tell me exactly why you're here. I mean, don't think I'm not happy to see you..."  
  
"Alex..."  
  
"This is about our... Czechoslovakian schoolmates... isn't it?" She looked down.  
  
"What do YOU think?"  
  
"I think that we need to get this all out. Might help us get through it."  
  
"Yeah... I guess..." she said, then, "I knew this was gonna happen."  
  
"What? That we'd be... heartbroken?"  
  
"Something like that. Just this nagging feeling that no matter... how much or how hard I tried... it wouldn't last..."  
  
"I understand. For me, I didn't think it would even start... I thought she was just out of reach to me, for someone like me, you know?"  
  
"Alex... Don't say that, you're a great guy, you know that." He smiled.  
  
"Well... thank you," he said as he bumped shoulders with her. Both laughed. "Well, no matter how great of a guy you think I am, I just didn't think she would ever go out with me."  
  
"But she did."  
  
"She sure did. And you... You got through to Michael Guerin... an accomplishment on its own."  
  
"You can say that again."  
  
"And yet here we are... alone again..."  
  
"Yep..." said Maria. Alex turned to her.  
  
"You really think I'm good-looking?" She snickered.  
  
"I said you were a great guy."  
  
"Oh..." She took his hand.  
  
"A great, good-looking guy." He turned to her once more.  
  
"I knew I always like you, DeLuca."  
  
"Thanks... Whitman," she said with a laugh. "Feels a bit redundant to say this, but what do we do now?" asked Maria.  
  
Alex thought, then said, "Wanna play cards?"  
  
"What? Alex, we can barely see anything!"  
  
"Yeah... and besides, I'd beat you..."  
  
"Would not! I'm not THAT bad... am I?" she asked shyly.  
  
"Of course not... Okay, so no cards... Hide and seek?" he suggested with a grin. Maria snickered.  
  
"What are we? Four?"  
  
"Just a suggestion..." Maria laughed. "Great... now you're laughing at me!" Eventually, she stopped.  
  
"I hate storms," she said.  
  
"Me too."  
  
"I remember... when I was little, my dad would come and stay in my room, to keep me calm during a storm. He would sing me lullabies, tell me stories... he'd sleep beside my bed... When he left, that first storm... my mom tried to do what he did, but... it just wasn't the same... I promised myself that if I ever had children myself, I would never let anything like that happen to them... ever." Her voice was strong and clear.  
  
"That's a good promise... they will be lucky children... to have you as their mother," said Alex. Maria smiled.  
  
"Thank you," she said with a nod.  
  
"You're welcome," said Alex, then, "When I was little, and there would be storms, I'd sneak into the living room and turn on the television. I'd lie down on the couch, with a blanket and I'd watch whatever was on, until I'd fall asleep. When morning would come, I'd wake up in my bed... I guess my mom or my dad carried me back... They never said anything..."  
  
"So that's why you made us sleep in front of the television when there were storms in our sleepovers!" said Maria realizing.  
  
Alex nodded, then said, "How about we test out that ankle of yours?"  
  
"Do we have to?" pleaded Maria.  
  
"Come on, I'll help you," said Alex as he got up. He picked up the candle and put it on a nearby table. He approached Maria and extended his hands. She hesitated, then let him help her up. She let out a small wince, but managed to steady herself. "How's it going?" asked Alex.  
  
"Like I said before, it's sensible."  
  
"Okay... let's take a walk to the window."  
  
"Mean," teased Maria. Slowly they made their way to the window.  
  
"There. That wasn't so hard!"  
  
"Ha... ha... hey!"  
  
"What?" asked Alex.  
  
"Look! It stopped. It's over."  
  
"Oh... so what now?"  
  
"I... should go... before my mom sends out the entire Roswell Police Department to look for me." Alex laughed.  
  
"Do you think you can make it back by yourself? I could go with you..."  
  
"It's okay, Alex. I can still drive. Just have to be careful." Alex nodded and he ran back to his room to retrieve Maria's coat.  
  
"Here you go," he said, once he'd returned.  
  
"Thank you," she said as he helped her put it on.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow then," said Alex.  
  
"Yeah," said Maria slowly.  
  
"Bye," said Alex.  
  
"Bye," said Maria.  
  
After she'd left, he went back to the spot where they'd been sitting. He lowered himself back to it. As he sat there, he could hear nothing but Maria's voice in his mind. He should have returned to studying for finals, but even if he'd wanted to... he wouldn't have bee able to. His thoughts were completely occupied. He'd known Maria for years, been her friend for just as long... he'd never felt that way before...  



	3. Max & Tess

A minute passed before someone said something. Tess sat frozen in place as Max still held her hand. Finally, he said, "Storms freak me out, too." That snapped her out of it.  
  
"Oh... yeah..."  
  
"I'm guessing Nasedo didn't care much."  
  
"No... he didn't. He'd just say stuff like, 'We survived a spaceship crash, this is nothing.' I hated when he said that."  
  
"But we weren't even born yet," observed Max.  
  
"I know! I tried to make him understand how I felt, but..."  
  
"I'm sorry," said Max.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Not waiting for you..." She smiled.  
  
"It's okay. I mean, growing up with Nasedo has taught me a lot... even if it meant being all by myself most of the time."  
  
"Wasn't big on human friends, uh?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"But you seem okay." She looked up. "I mean, you're not completely cut off from the world or anything," he explained.  
  
"Well, just because he wouldn't let me make human friends, didn't mean I would listen. I made some friends. He never knew about them, that's all."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"In fact, if I hadn't been sneaking around, we would probably still be looking around for you."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, a couple months ago, I wanted to have a party with my friends. I needed him to leave, so I suggested he go look in Roswell. He hesitated at first, but eventually went. So I had the party, it was great and everything. A few days later, he came back. He'd found you. So we packed up everything and moved here. I never got to say goodbye to my friends."  
  
"Wow," said Max. Suddenly, he felt a bit sorry for her. Even if she said it was okay, he couldn't help it.  
  
"I understand how it must have felt a bit... when I was little, I wanted nothing more than to... belong... you know?" She nodded. "I knew that I was different from the other kids... I hated that. I had this big secret and I couldn't tell anyone. Not the teachers, or the kids at school, not even my parents. I wanted nothing more than just being like them... normal. I mean... they didn't know there was something different about me, and yet I still remained in my corner... as time went by, I started blending in, but there was still the secret..."  
  
He turned and saw she was looking at him. He wanted to turn away, but he couldn't. He didn't know why, but he didn't WANT to look away from her. She had this look of complete understanding on her face. Michael and Isabel understood as well, but not the way Tess did. How was that?  
  
It didn't really matter now... the important thing right then, was that he'd found someone who understood entirely how he felt... as she had been feeling the same way. He was confused, didn't know what he wanted anymore.  
  
"Max?" he heard her say. He turned.  
  
"Uh?"  
  
"You seemed a bit lost there."  
  
"Sorry, I was just thinking... Can I ask you a question?" She blinked, then nodded. "What was it like? After you'd come out of the pod... with Nasedo..." She took a moment to think her words through.  
  
"Well... at first, I didn't fully know what was happening. I mean, how could I? Everything was new to me. I was very curious... wanting to know more and more. But Nasedo wouldn't allow it. He didn't want me to... get distracted. For a while, he wouldn't even let me out of the house... didn't want me to see the other people, the humans.  
  
"There were times I'd climb up to the window, to look at the families going in and out of their homes... happy... One time, he caught me. After that, he never let me out of his sight. Eventually, when he thought I was 'concentrated' enough, I was allowed to go to regular schools. The first day of school... that was one of the best days of my life."  
  
Max was speechless. He wondered how it would have been if he and the others had been found by Nasedo at the same time as Tess. The image that came to him wasn't very pleasing. But she'd been through that all by herself. No one to comfort her if she was scared or sad, no one to play with...  
  
"What did he tell you about us?" he asked.  
  
"Not much... just that there were three others like me somewhere... and that one of them was my... husband, back on our world." They were silent. "What about you?" she asked slowly.  
  
"The beginning, the starting point of our lives... it was mostly one confusing event after another... We lost Michael that night, I... never forgave myself. I should have urged him to follow us more strongly... If he had, he wouldn't have been stuck with Hank..." She put her hand on his shoulder, sensing his distress.  
  
"Isabel and I were luckier. I remember... the first few days at home, I didn't feel at home yet... I hated it, didn't want to stay. But there was nowhere else to go... I also had to think about Isabel, and how SHE felt. But, eventually things settled down a bit... we found Michael, and it was the three of us.  
  
"After we were reunited, I wanted to make sure we'd all be safe. I couldn't always protect them, but I did what I could. One of the hardest things was not telling my parents. I mean, they found us, gave us a home, and their love... and we were lying to them. We wanted to tell them, but we were just scared... of how they'd react, what they'd say..."  
  
"How they'd look at you..." continued Tess subconsciously.  
  
"Exactly," said Max, looking to her. She realized she'd said it aloud and looked up at him.  
  
"I know how that is... So many times I wanted to tell my friends, just sit them down and explain it all... but every time, I would get an image in my mind of... horror and... I couldn't."  
  
"When... Liz, Maria, Alex and Kyle, and even the Sheriff, fount out... they took it relatively well, that gave me... relief," said Max.  
  
"Think they'll ever accept me?" asked Tess, absently, "I mean, I didn't make a... great first impression." She was right... to them, she had been the beginning of all the problems, although it had been against her will. He understood that now, and he didn't want her to feel the way she had as a kid, again.  
  
"They'll learn to know you... it might take some time... but it'll get better, I promise."  
  
"Thanks," she said with a smile, then as she saw outside the window, "The storm's over." He turned and saw it as well. "I should get home. Nasedo's probably wondering where the heck I've been."  
  
"Yeah. My parents will be back soon, I guess. Isabel too... wherever she went," said Max as they got up. Tess put her coat on as they headed for the door.  
  
"I'll, uh... see you tomorrow," said Tess, as she opened the door.  
  
"Yeah," said Max, then, "Be careful out there." She glanced up to him with a grin.  
  
"Alright. Bye." He watched her walk until she reached the sidewalk, then closed the door.  
  
Outside, Tess walked along, not caring she'd stepped in puddles along the way. She felt good, better than she had in a very long time. Not even the knowledge that she'd have to deal with Nasedo when she got home could have changed her mood. Although she couldn't wait to see his face when he heard she was with Max the whole time. For once, things were looking up in her life.  
  
It will all be better...won't it? She NEEDED it to get better, to be accepted by Liz and Maria... and Alex... and Kyle. She couldn't take the loneliness anymore... It was deafening, the silence had become one of her worst enemies...  



	4. Michael & Isabel

Michael and Isabel sat side by side, attempting to catch their breaths after the pillow fight. It had only lasted about two minutes, but it was enjoyed tremendously by both. "So... who won?" asked Isabel.  
  
"I don't know. I think we both gave up at the same time."  
  
"That was... interesting."  
  
"Yeah," said Michael, then, "What now?"  
  
"I'm not sure. We can't exactly go anywhere," said Isabel, looking outside to the heavy pouring rain.  
  
"I remember... the first storm after we were 'born'... It was my first night with Hank. Already, he wasn't much help. I was in my room, sitting on my bed. I was still taking in the situation, and then I heard this loud crack. I dived to the ground, not understanding what was going on. I could hear the rain pound on the trailer's roof. I slept on the floor 'cause I was... too scared to get up," he said with a grin.  
  
"YOU were scared?" asked Isabel mockingly.  
  
"Hey," said Michael.  
  
"Kidding!" said Isabel with a laugh.  
  
"What about you?" he asked.  
  
"I'd been home for a few days, I just enjoyed everything... Max wasn't adjusting very well as you know... Anyway, I was in my bed, trying to fall asleep, when I heard the thunder. I sat up immediately. I wasn't gonna stay there, not knowing what was going on. So I got up and ran into my parents' room. When they saw me, they just smiled and signaled for me to join them. Sleeping between them... it didn't seem so bad anymore."  
  
Michael looked down. "I'm sorry you had to go through it the way you did," said Isabel, noticing.  
  
"Don't worry about it. I mean... I turned out okay, didn't I?" She nodded. "That's all that matters now."  
  
"Yeah, I guess," she said, looking around the small apartment, "You got your own place..."  
  
"... not exactly luxury..."  
  
"... but it's better than Hank."  
  
"Being HOMELESS is better than Hank," stated Michael. Isabel chuckled as she got up. "Where are you going?"  
  
"You know, girls have needs... even in storms," she said as she headed for the bathroom. Once she'd left the room, he felt some kind of... pinch... in his heart... He needed to face it, something had changed, in the way he reacted to her, how he saw her... it wasn't like before. He had to admit to what was happening, or it would eat him alive.  
  
Lost in his thoughts he didn't notice her walk back in. She took that opportunity to sneak up on him from behind.  
  
"Hey!" she said as she tapped on his left shoulder. He jumped up slightly, his heart beating much faster suddenly. "Sorry," she said with a laugh.  
  
"It's... it's okay." He looked to her quickly, then said, "Is... this might sound weird, but... remember the dreams?" She became silent. He knew she remembered... they would never forget.  
  
"Why?" she asked.  
  
"It's just I've been thinking... What if that boy does or... is meant to exist some day... what happens to him?" She understood. It had bothered her too.  
  
"I don't know." Both became silent. "Is that what you want?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know," he said, getting up, which startled Isabel. "I don't know what I want anymore. Everything is different... my life, my... feelings..." He stopped, realizing he may have said too much. He prayed she hadn't heard him, but knowing her, she'd probably figured it all out.  
  
"Your feelings? What kind of..."  
  
"Isabel, please, don't make me do this, I'm already confused enough," he said, unable to look at her for the moment. She stood right behind him.  
  
"It's okay. Just... sit down, okay? I'll forget everything if you want me to," she said honestly. He hesitated for a second, then returned to his seat, soon followed by Isabel. She observed him... how he still couldn't quite look at her yet. She took a breath and spoke. "I know that all that's happened in the past month or two has been very hard and... a bit weird... But we need to get past it. Or... at least some of it. I still see him when I close my eyes... our son."  
  
The words gave him a chill, although it didn't feel so bad. "When we thought... he was real... I couldn't explain it..."  
  
"A real blood relative..." continued Isabel.  
  
"The first... the only one I had." He looked down. "And then he was taken from me." Isabel was shocked. She hadn't thought about it that way... She felt bad for him. He'd wanted it to be real. She'd wanted it too, in a way, just not the same.  
  
She was seeing a new person in him then... just as she had ever since she'd arrived that night. Somehow, there was finally a good side to the whole destiny thing. She only wished she knew what she was supposed to do about it.  
  
"Why didn't you say anything before?" she asked.  
  
"What was I supposed to say? You were freaked out enough, I didn't want to put this on top of everything." He'd wanted to protect her... from him? She put her hand on his.  
  
"You can tell me anything, Michael. I'll listen." He breathed in and out, catching the smell of citrus from her hair. There was a sense of peace over them, like something huge had been lifted away from them. Because it had. They needed to break the silence... It was only making it harder otherwise.  
  
"So... are you ready for finals?" asked Isabel.  
  
"Almost," said Michael, jumping on the chance to talk.  
  
"Good! That's... great."  
  
"Yeah..." said Michael, then, "This is weird, uh?"  
  
"Oh yeah," said Isabel with a small laugh.  
  
"Used to be we could always find something to talk about," she continued, not wanting to use the whole 'almost brother/sister' thing.  
  
"We still can," said Michael, "Not because we've... started seeing things differently... that we have to lose everything we had before." She thought for only a second, then nodded to him.  
  
"Agreed," she said with a smile.  
  
"Good," he said. She looked beyond him, noticing something. She got up and walked to the window. She pushed away the curtains and looked outside. She turned back to Michael.  
  
"It's over," she said as she looked back outside, "The storm's over." He got up and stretched his arms out as he walked up to her. She glanced up at him. "I should get home. My parents will get worried... it they're home by the time I arrive. Plus I need to review my notes again for tomorrow."  
  
"Okay," he said as she put her coat on, lifting her hair out and letting it flow over her coat. "So I'll see you tomorrow," said Michael with a quick smile.  
  
"Yeah," she said as she left. He closed the door and leaned back against it. He just knew things would get very complicated in the next couple days. What would they do? What would they tell the others? How could they understand what had happened that night? Would they want to or be able to? More than anything, he needed it, couldn't deal with it all if he didn't have them behind him. They were like a support system, if that was possible.  
  
Outside, Isabel walked slowly, enjoying the gentle breeze all around her. It didn't matter that she should be hurrying. That wasn't important anymore. It had been an interesting night to say the least.  
  
But she would never forget it. Because that night... she'd found something important... a good side to destiny... a new respect for Michael... feelings she never thought she had... She had something to hope for... a future like she'd always wanted...  
  
End of part 1  



End file.
